Which American general signed first for the Allied powers at Japan’s 1945 surrender ceremony?

Douglas MacArthur signed first for the Allied powers at Japan’s 1945 surrender ceremony.

MacArthur was the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers and presided over the ceremony aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. After Mamoru Shigemitsu and Yoshijirō Umezu signed for Japan, MacArthur signed the instrument on behalf of the Allied nations.

MacArthur used several pens during the signing. One of them was given to his wife, Jean, while others went to institutions and military figures connected with the war. His signing was followed by Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who represented the United States.

MacArthur then delivered brief closing remarks about the hope for a better world. Although the ceremony ended the war formally, the Allied occupation and reconstruction of Japan continued under MacArthur’s authority. The occupation lasted until the peace treaty took effect in 1952.